174 



Nor are our favourable first impressions in any wise diminished on 

 a closer acquaintance ; they are on the contrary confirmed, and our 

 confidence is increased, by the numerous and very manifest impi'ove- 

 ments on the preceding editions observable throughout the present. 

 One of these consists in the adoption of a uniform nomenclature in 

 the names of the orders, which, with but eight exceptions,* are now 

 made to end in acedc, in place of the heterogeneous assemblage of 

 inecBS, ideces, ieces, eleces, and so on, formerly followed in defiance of 

 all the advantages of a uniformity in nomenclature, first pointed out, 

 we believe, by Dr. Lindley, in the second edition of his ' Introduction 

 to the Natural System of Botany,' published in 1836; wherein the 

 author proposes to distinguish orders by the termination acece, sub- 

 orders by e(B, alliances by ales, and certain combinations called groups 

 by os(B ; the names of all divisions of equal value being thus made to 

 end in the same way. 



Another very great improvement is the introduction of the Conspec- 

 tus of Orders at the head of each sub-class, whereby the necessity of 

 turning over half the volume before one can hit upon the order sought 

 for is entirely obviated, to the saving of much valuable time, and the 

 prevention of many sore trials of patience consequent upon disap- 

 pointment. And equally useful is the Synopsis of Genera given at 

 the head of each order. None but those who have had experience of 

 the additional trouble arising from their omission, can duly appreciate 

 the utility of such aids to research, artificial though they be. 



Indeed, every page of this new edition of the ' British Flora' bears 

 ample evidence of the care and attention bestowed upon it. The 

 diagnoses and descriptions of the genera and species appear to have 

 been carefully revised throughout ; and the editors have obviously 

 exerted themselves to render the volume a faithful chronicle of the 

 present advanced state of botanical knowledge, so far, at least, as Bri- 

 tish plants are concerned. The ' British Flora,' in consequence, is 

 no longer a mere rifacciamento of former editions, as was the case 

 with its immediate predecessor, but, thanks to editorial vigilance, it 

 must rather, in many important particulars, be looked upon as a new 

 work, as we shall now proceed to show by a few examples. 



In the fifth edition of the Flora, the number of species of Ranuncu- 

 lus is given at sixteen; the second edition of Babington's Manual 

 contains nineteen ; and the present edition of the Flora twenty. This 

 increase is due to the attention bestowed upon the plants included in 



* These exceptions are the orders Composita, Coniferac, Crucirersc, CupuliferaB, 

 Grauiiucee, Labialae, Le5,'uiniuossE, and Umbclliferx'. 



